Policy analysis is a mainstay of any healthcare administrator. The ability to analyze policy from year to year and implement changes determines the behavior of your employees and the risk mitigation of your department and organization. You must be able to effectively communicate the changes needed for the policy. In this, you are going to research the current suggestions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using the following resources:
Policy and Strategy at CDC https://www.cdc.gov/policy/index.html
Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/index.html
Eliminating Healthcare Associated Infections https://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/toolkits/toolkit-hai-policy-final_03-2011.pdf
Policies and Procedures for Healthcare Organizations: A Risk Management Perspective https://www.psqh.com/analysis/policies-and-procedures-for-healthcare-organizations-a-risk-management-perspective/
Then, analyze the following sample policy:
Sample Policy
Purpose: Effective hand hygiene to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections
Policy: All members of the healthcare team will comply with current CDC hand hygiene guidelines.
Procedure Indications for Handwashing
Indications for Handwashing
Wash hands when hands are visibly dirty.
Wash hands using antimicrobial soap and water before eating and after using a restroom.
Handwashing may also be used for routinely decontaminating hands in the following clinical situations:
Before having direct contact with patients
After contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient
After removing gloves
For this assignment, you will respond to the following prompts
How well does this policy align with the current hand hygiene standards based on the CDC recommendations for hand hygiene in healthcare settings? Describe the areas of alignment and opportunities for improvement.
Based on your analysis, what modifications would you recommend to the policy?
According to the CDC guidelines and resources for hand hygiene and the state policy options associated with Eliminating Healthcare Associated Infections, provide a brief discussion of what you must consider with regard to training your staff and documenting the impact by measuring hand hygiene practices.
